Alternate Synthesis
by Realdeadmeat
Summary: Commander Shepard Finds another way to save the galaxy using synthesis but at what cost? like and comment on this Fan Fic and I'll write more even if you don't I'll still write stuff
1. Chapter 1 - At what cost?

I ran for the beam, people falling dead at my feet, but I kept running for the beam. It was the final push I had to reach the crucible and activate the catalyst before the Reapers destroyed earth. I was dodging reaper beams left and right as fellow soldiers died right in front of my eyes then I was swallowed by a red light... a reaper beam.

I woke to find I was still alive I tried to get up... arrrgh I had to make it and finish the mission no matter what the cost I limped as fast as i could to the beam it felt like an eternity before I was just a meter away then a marauder pops out from behind a chunk of rubble and shoots me if i wasn't dying before i was now i shot that bastard in the head and walked into the beam.

Where was I? The room I was in was filled with corpses i felt sick the reapers had to be stopped. Then Anderson came in over the comm he had survived but he came out somewhere else on the Citadel when he went through the beam we managed to meet up at the control panel after what seemed like a century of walking... gah.. man my wounds hurt... F**k!

The Illusive man showed up, and now he's just like Saren he's being controlled by the Reapers but he doesn't realize it. He made me shoot Anderson that son of a Bitch, I managed to convince him to shoot himself... just like Saren. Hopefully he won't come back as a freaky robot skeleton. I managed to keep Anderson alive for about five more minutes, he died by my side, good soldier I bet kelly Sanders will miss him.

I looked at my hand covered in my own blood... shit I don't think I'll make it... NO! I can't think like that I promised Garrus I would come back... I have to... "Commander, The Crucible isn't firing there must be something wrong on your end" Hackets voice came over the comms I tied to reply but he couldn't hear me I crawled to the control panel but it was sapping all my strength my hand was so close to the panel but I passed out as my vision faded I felt the platform beneath me rise then I was gone...

My vision returned to me, I wasn't dead but I was still hurt I stood up to see a boy materialize in front of me he looked like the boy I saw die at the begining of the invasion... He told me he was the Catalyst i was the first organic to reach this point and he gave me three choices, one Destroy the Reapers and all synthetic life I couldn't do that Joker would never forgive me for killing EDI and the Geth were helping the Quarians and I couldn't break that alliance,2 was Control the Reapers I didn't want to end up like the Illusive Man and that's to much power for one person even me, Commander Shepard the last option was Synthesis combining synthetic and organic life... yes that could work and Peace would be restored but if I chose any of the options the mass relays would explode and all life would be stranded from there homes and I would die and I won't leave Garrus alone by himself that's not right there had to be another way...

I slowly walked towards the synthesis beam and before I jumped I asked one question that the Catalyst didn't expect "You said i was laced with synthetics and if i jumped Into the beam my energy would overload the mass relays yada yada... but what if i just added a small part of me... like my hand would that decrease the energy, spare the mass relays and still combine all life?" The Catalyst considered my answer and replied "It is possible that this may be the case but this option was never considered so you can't do that" I smirked at the Catalyst as i used my omniblade to cut off my own hand "Bet you didn't see that coming you little asshole" and threw it into the beam.

I applied what medigel i had left to my left arm where i cut my arm and then the room was bathed in a green glow as the Catalyst stuttered "You-you broke the cycle" "Dam right I did, I'm Commander Shepard and I defeated the Reapers!" I yelled just as the pulse of green energy spread across the galaxy, I was able to keep my promise to Garrus I just needed to hang on till the Normandy could get me. At that point I just sat down and played an old song called "Wataya want from me" it was fitting because everyone wanted me to save the galaxy I was just one woman but I did it.


	2. Chapter 2 - Extraction

In the Normandy's Cockpit...

Joker: "EDI what the heck happened down on the Citadel, The Reapers are leaving what the hell! what ever Shepard did down there made them leave"

EDI: "Joker my scans indicate that the energy pulse that the crucible released combined all organic and synthetic life?"

Joker: "Holy shit!"

EDI: "Wait, Joker I'm picking up a life sign on the Citadel, I think it's Shepard?"

Joker: "Man she's tough"

EDI: "Her life signs are fading Joker, we need to get an extraction team to bring her in so we can stabilize her!"

Joker: "I know just who to send..."

Down on the Crew Deck a few minutes earlier...

I can't believe we left her down there... "Garrus it's not your fault, we were injured and had to be taken back to the Normandy, if we hadn't we would have died!" Tali you don't understand... I need to see Shepard again to know that she's alive if she's not...(growl)...She broke her promise. "Garrus she's Shepard she'll be fine, remember she knows what she's doing and anyway don't you have some guns to calibrate we are in the middle of a war zone you know" okay Tali I'll get started on that...Woah what was that green pulse of light! "I don't know Garrus but hopefully it's a good thing" Your right Tali.

"Garrus and Tali report to the Shuttle bay for an extraction mission" Jokers voice chimed over the intercom "this is an emergency guys get there right now"

_we ran for the shuttle bay why won't this stupid elevator go any faster... calm down Garrus you don't even know what this mission is about, _Cortez where are we heading?"The Citadel control room" why there? "Yes why there Cortez aren't there people on earth who need help?" Tali questioned "We're going there because we need to rescue Commander Shepard!"... _Shepard she's alive!?_

On the Citadel...

_I'm still lying on the floor of the Citadel wounded and my left arm hurts... great now I remember I cut my hand off hopefully I'll be rescued soon,I feel strong arms pick me up and carry me somewhere I don't know where,_ _I hear a voice but I can't tell who is taking _"Shepard...SHEPARD!"_, my vision is blurry but as it starts to come back to me I turn to see who carried me off the Citadel... wait I know that face... _Garrus!

Shepard she's alive barely, what happened to her, why is her left hand gone? "I don't know Garrus" Quick we need to get her to the shuttle, I'll carry her, Tali get your shotgun ready there may be leftover husks to kill. _Don't die on me now Shepard we've been trough to much for you to die now the galaxy needs you... I need you. _We need to get to the shuttle now, Tali are there any husks left...BANG!..."Nope that was the last one" Great we have to hurry though, Cortez open the shuttle doors. We made it! _and Shepard's still in my arms, I won't let you go._"Garrus, it's Shepard she is regaining consciousness, Keelah"...Shepard...SHEPARD!

In the Normandy's Med bay...

Dr. Chakwas how is Shepard? "Garrus, Shepard will be fine, she has been through a lot and needs some rest now" Can I stay here... with her "Sure Garru,s there is a chair over there if you need it" I won't need it "okay" _The doors to the med bay shut, now I'm alone with Shepard, I hope she wakes up she has to... I gab her right hand since her left one is gone, I wonder why her left hand is gone?... Snap out of it Vakarian she'll explain when she wakes up hopefully._

_What's going on I... I saw Garrus called his name then nothing I can't remember anything after that, Where am I now I can feel a bed, it's not mine, I must be in the Med bay .. I can feel something on my hand three fingers and sort of scaly ..Garrus I knew he'd be here, I wonder how long I've been lying here and how long Garrus has been here. I can here him talking to himself wanting me to wake up, I am kinda conscious but he doesn't know that though, right then I felt him squeeze my hand... and I squeezed back to show him I'm okay._


	3. Chapter 3 - Medbay

When I squeezed his hand the first time Garrus didn't really notice, sooo I squeezed harder the next time and he seemed to snap out of his daze.

"...huh?...what! Shepard!"

"Hi big guy did you miss me" she smiled weakly  
"Of course i did Shepard and don't scare me like that"  
she sat up "Sure Garrus and ...i came back... and saved the galaxy... for the third time I think that deserves something?"  
"I think i know what you mean" I said jokingly " But how about later, when your out of the med bay?"  
"sounds like a plan"  
"and I've been meaning to ask... what happened to your left hand?"  
"I...uh Lost it?"  
"really Shepard? what really happened?"  
" I cut it off and threw it into the synthesis beam"  
"what in the Spirits is a synthesis beam?"  
"uh... when i talked to the catalyst he gave me three choices, destroy the Reapers and all synthetics, Control the Reapers and Synthesis in when organics and synthetics are merged together so now everyone is technically a cyborg, and everything is organic and synthetic"  
"woah that's...uh wow well that explains all the green glowing stuff"  
"yeah for destroy i would have had to shoot a power core and... well die, for Control i would have had to hold some control sticks and disentergrate, for Synthesis I would have had to throw myself into the beam and die, but instead i cut off my hand" She exasperated  
"so you could live?" I questioned  
"and so the mass relays wouldn't explode"  
"Whoa still... that's... um wow"  
"yeah i know you've said that twice already"  
"sorry... I'm glad your back though..."  
"yeah i'm glad i'm back to...what the...?!"  
"what, whats going on!"  
"my left hand look at it, it's reconstructing itself!"  
we watched as Shepards hand was slowly reconstructed bit by bit ,bone by bone, after about 30 minutes her hand was back  
"well that was cool?" Shepard said  
"it looks like the new DNA is working like a charm" I joked  
"yeah... it is" she said "so where do we go from here?"  
"I'm not sure but i do know this..."

As Garrus brushed my brown hair off my face i knew that I loved him no matter what, and when i touched his face with my new hand he clasped his taloned hand over mine, at that point i couldn't hold back anymore i lent in and kissed him, just like on the top presidium before... before what... i didn't care i was here with him and that's all that mattered to me.


End file.
